General Wi-Fi / network troubleshooting tips

• For Toshiba computers with an internal Wi-Fi adapter, verify that the Wi-Fi power switch is ON. On all Toshiba portables that have a built-in Wi-Fi card (rather than a PC Card) the right-most LED (front of the computer) should be lit when the Wi-Fi power switch is on. This LED will be next to an antenna icon (waves radiating from it). Some Toshiba models have this physical switch whether or not the internal Wi-Fi adapter is installed. To determine whether or not a particular computer has an internal Wi-Fi adapter, check the device list in Device Manger (part of the Windows Control Panel). Another good clue is the presence or absence or a "Wi-Fi" sticker on the underside of the computer.
  
  
• Try a different browser. Switch to Internet Explorer, Firefox, Opera or another browser application. If any one of them allows you to browse to a website, then both the Wi-Fi connection to the access point and the connection to the Internet are good, and there is probably a configuration problem with whichever browser is not working.^[GC-9]
  
  
• Verify that signal strength is good -- using the utility provided with the Wi-Fi adapter.
  
  
• If you have another computer on the same network, verify that it has network access, and can connect through the Internet. If, for example, the other computer cannot browse to a public website, the ISP's (Internet Service Provider) service may be disrupted. If the other computer's connection proves to be good, then the problem is probably within your own computer, or it's connection to the access point / router.
  
  
• Try pinging the access point / router at the Default Gateway address (try the tyical default address 192.168.1.1. Click the Windows Start buton, then Run, then type "Cmd" and press Enter, then type "ping 192.168.1.1" at the command prompt, and press Enter. If "Request Timed Out" or another error message appears in response, then the problem is probably Wi-Fi-related..^[GC-17]
  
  
• Verify that the SSID (Network Name) is correct -- that it matches the SSID assigned to the access point / router you are attempting to connect through. SSIDs are case-sensitive. Toshiba provides a Client Manager utility for setting and managing SSIDs. Wi-Fi adapters from other vendors generally include a software utility for the same purpose.
  
  
• Check Control Panel's Device Manager, to verify that the computer's Wi-Fi adapter is recognized by Windows, and that the driver is loaded. Carefully note any error messages, which may be very helpful if you later confer with a support technician.
  
  
• Verify that "Obtain an IP address automatically" (DHCP) is checked for the TCP/IP settings in the Network Connections Properties page.
  
  
• Use IPCONFIG to verify that the computer has a useful IP address -- one other than the private Windows-assigned address of 169.254.xxx.xxx. Click on Start > Run, then type "Cmd" and press Enter, then type "IPCONFIG /ALL" and press Enter. The IP address for each active network adapter will be displayed.
  
  
• Disable the firewall while troubleshooting, to ascertain whether or not the connection problem is from incorrect firewall configuration. To turn off the Windows Firewall, click Start, then Control Panel, and double-click Windows Firewall. On the General tab, click "Off (not recommended)" and click OK. Re-enable the firewall once everything is working correctly. ^[GC-11]
  
  
• Try connecting your computer directly to your access point / router (or to your broadband modem) with a standard category 5 Ethernet cable (plugged into your computer's 'wired' Ethernet port). If the connection problem disappears, it indicates that something is wrong with the Wi-Fi part of your network.
  
  
• Verify that the computer's Wi-Fi adapter and the Wi-Fi access point / router are using compatible versions of Wi-Fi -- by reviewing their detailed specifications. The following table shows the compatiblity among the various current (2008) Wi-Fi standards: 
  
  
  • 802.11a ----- only compatible with 802.11a
  • 802.11a/g -- also compatible with 802.11b and 802.11g and 802.11n
  • 802.11b ----- also compatible with 802.11g and 802.11n
  • 802.11g ----- also compatible with 802.11b and 802.11n
  • 802.11n ----- also compatible with 802.11a and 802.11b and 802.11g    ^[GC/KM-12]
    
    
• Disable WEP or WPA encryption, to ascertain whether or not the connection problem is from encryption incompatibility or mis-configuration.
  
  To disable encryption for the computer's Wi-Fi adapter, click the WIndows Start button, then Control Panel, Network Connections, and double-click Wireless Network Connection. At left in the next window, click Change Advanced Settings, then click the Wireless Networks tab. Double-click the name of the network you're trying to connect to, and set Data Encryption to Disabled. Click OK, and OK again.
   
  Try this technique to disable encryption on the access point / router: Use a standard category 5 Ethernet cable to connect the computer to the access point. Use Internet Explorer or another web browser to configure the access point, by typing the access point's IP address into the browser's address field. Consult the user's manual for the correct address, or try http://192.168.1.1 -- which is correct for some access points.
  
  Once you browse to the correct address, a login screen will appear. See the user's manual for the default user name and password, or search for it on the Internet. Once you log in, you'll see a list of configuration settings, including encryption settings,including the encryption key. and an enabled / disabled setting.
  
  If the connection works once encryption is disabled, verify that the computer's Wi-Fi adapter and the access point / router are using the same encryption standard (typically either WEP or WPA). Verify that the encryption keys you've entered for the computer and for the access point / router match exactly. The keys are case-sensitive, so each character must be exactly the same -- "s" does not match "S", for example. Spaces, hyphens and other characters must also match exactly.
  
  Re-enable encryption when your troubleshooting is finished.^[GC-13]
  
  
• If you have any security provisions enabled, (closed system, MAC address filtering, WEP, etc.),  check the access point vendor's website for recent firmware upgrades. Problems with WEP keys, in particular, are frequently addressed in new firmware releases.
  
  
• If you have replaced an access point / router or a broadband modem with a new unit, then review the configuration settings carefully, and make sure that the power cord is securely connected, and that Ethernet cables are connected to the correct port connectors. ^[GC-9]
  
  
• Make sure that the Wi-Fi adapter is set up for infrastructure mode, unless you're sure that it should be using ad hoc mode. Infrastructure mode is generally used to connect computers to a Wi-Fi access point / router. Ad hoc mode is typically used to connect computers directly together, without an access point / router.
  
  
  • Follow these steps to verify that the Wi-Fi adapter is in infrastructure mode:
    Click Start, Control Panel, Network Connections, then double-click  Wireless Network Connection.  On the left side of the Choose a wireless network window, click on Change advanced settings. Click on the Advanced tab and make sure that there is no check mark under Internet Connection Sharing for "Allow other network users to connect through this computer's Internet connection.".  ^[GC-4]

Special considerations for Windows XP

• "The wireless network is not secure": When Windows XP first detects an access point / router that does not have WEP encryption enabled, it adds it to its list of "available wireless networks", but requires the user to grant permission to connect to it. To do so, right-click the 'Wireless Network" icon in the System Tray (far-right portion of the Windows Taskbar).  Click "View Available Wireless Networks". If you then check the box labeled "Allow me to connect to the selected wireless network, even though it is not secure.", Windows XP will try to establish a connection to it.
  
  
• If you are using an 'external' Wi-Fi adapter (a PC Card, or USB adapter, or other variety), determine whether or not the adapter comes with its own management utility, in which case it may well disable Windows XP's own wireless management facility. If so, it will be necessary to use the adapter's own management utility. If the documentation that accompanies the adapter is not clear on this point, contact that vendor's support group for further advice.
  

Related Toshiba Support Bulletins

• 98081095 Wi-Fi network security -- some general recommendations 
  
  
• 98080488 Toshiba Wireless LAN PC Card / Access Point -- Wi-Fi troubleshooting
  
  
• 98081091 Wi-Fi: improving reliability of connections 

^{- km/gc/wa}